Kent Island fishing boat captains charged

Ben Weathers, bweathers@capgaznews.com

Two Kent Island fishing boat captains were charged earlier this month with operating without required licenses.

Tyrone Antone Meredith, 53, of Stevensville, and Herlen Vernon Lynch, 63, of Dover, Delaware, were charged Sept. 4 with operating as an unlicensed commercial fishing guide, failing to obtain federal licenses to operate a vessel, failing to have a license on board while charter fishing and using a consolidated sport license on a boat hired for recreational fishing, Maryland Natural Resources Police said.

They face up to $4,000 in fines.

The charges are the result of a joint investigation by NRP and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Posing as paying customers, NRP officers boarded the 35-foot Miss KeKe and a 40-foot unnamed boat Thursday and observed the operation. When the boats returned to the dock, they were met by NRP officers and a Coast Guard special agent and investigators, NRP said.

Meredith and Lynch are slated to appear in Queen Anne's County District Court on Oct. 29.

A third boat, Fishing Lady, also was removed from service after it was found to have numerous safety violations and was taking on passengers despite an order earlier this year from the Coast Guard not to do so.